What is direct deposit and how does it work? And other direct deposit FAQs

Direct deposit automatically places your teen’s hard-earned paychecks onto their Greenlight card. It’s convenient, secure and saves you a trip to the bank.

On payday, their paychecks will automatically be deposited onto their Greenlight card in their ‘Spend Anywhere’ balance — even if they’re on vacation or out of town.

How do I set up direct deposit? 

Is there an age requirement for children to sign up with direct deposit?

How soon after setup should I expect my first deposit? 

Is there an additional charge to use direct deposit?

What happens if my child changes jobs?

What if we want to stop direct deposit?

Are there limits to how much can be transferred by direct deposit?

Why did my direct deposit fail? 

How should my child use the money from their paycheck? 

How do I set up direct deposit? 

To set up direct deposit, follow the steps below.

Primary account holders: 

1. Navigate to your child's dashboard
2. Tap 'Profile' 
3. Select 'Direct Deposit' 
4. Share the account and routing information with your child’s employer. 

Approvers: 

1. Navigate to your child's dashboard
2. Scroll down to find the 'Direct Deposit' tile (only available for kids 13+) 
3. Share the account and routing information with your child’s employer.

Teens (13+): 

1. Tap the profile icon at the top left (next to your name)
2. Select ‘Direct deposit’
3. Share the account and routing information with your employer. 

Please note:

1. All direct deposits must be from the child's employer and in the child's name. We currently do not accept direct deposit from the State or Federal Government (including Social Security payments, federal tax refunds, state tax refunds, child support, etc.) or from Paypal, Venmo, Apple Cash, etc. Kids under 13 will need a parent to access their account number.
2. In the case where your child's employer asks whether direct deposits will go to a checking or savings account, you can select 'Checking'
3. Your child's name for their employer's direct deposit must match identically to their name on their Greenlight card

Is there an age requirement for children to sign up with direct deposit?

Greenlight is required to follow federal and local laws and regulations. By signing up for direct deposit, you confirm that your child is an employee of the company and legally authorized to work for them.

How soon after setup should I expect my first deposit? 

Once you have completed direct deposit setup with both Greenlight and your child's employer, your child's initial paycheck will typically begin automatically depositing within 1-2 pay periods. This can vary depending on their employer (all direct deposits must be from the child's employer and in the child's name). Subsequent deposits by your child's employer will be available the same day. 

Is there an additional charge to use direct deposit?

Nope! Direct deposit is included on all Greenlight plans.

What happens if my child changes jobs?

If your child changes employers, they will need to submit a new, completed direct deposit form to the new employer in order to continue receiving direct deposits into their Greenlight account. The same applies if your child’s existing employer changes payroll providers.

What if we want to stop direct deposit?

If your child wants to stop receiving their paychecks onto their Greenlight card, contact their employer and provide updated paycheck preferences or account and routing information. You can also delete the employer from the ‘Direct deposit’ page. 

Are there limits to how much can be transferred by direct deposit?

Yes, please see all load limits here.

Why did my direct deposit fail? 

There are a few common reasons why a direct deposit may be unsuccessful: 

1. The child's first and last name on their Greenlight card does not match the first and last name listed on the direct deposit transaction provided by the employer or payroll provider.
2. The child’s Greenlight account is not in good standing (due to suspension, delinquency, cancellation, etc.)
3. The direct deposit is from the State or Federal Government (e.g. Social Security payments, federal tax refunds, state tax refunds, child support, etc.). Greenlight is unable to accept direct deposit for these purposes.
4. The direct deposit is from a digital wallet provider (e.g. Paypal, Venmo, Apple Cash). Greenlight is unable to accept direct deposit from these merchants.
5. The dollar value of the direct deposit would result in the family exceeding Greenlight’s cumulative limit of direct deposits per family per month.
6. The dollar value of the direct deposit would result in the user exceeding Greenlight’s limit for maximum balance per secondary account. 
7. The dollar value of the direct deposit would result in the family exceeding Greenlight’s limit for maximum balance per family. 
8. Greenlight has placed a restriction on the account that automatically rejects any direct deposit and returns it to the sender.

How should my child use the money from their paycheck? 

That answer is different for every family, but you should discuss it together. Early jobs are a great time to learn real lessons around budgeting and money management. With Greenlight, kids can choose to move some of their paycheck to savings, add to their investment portfolio or set some aside for charitable giving. 

If you still have further questions please either:

Text us at 404-974-3024

or

Call us at 888-483-2645